I would have to say that registering for baby items is one of the most frustrating and exhausting processes. Why in the world are there so many choices? How are you supposed to know if your kid will like these items without trying them first? AND why, for those who shop at Buy Buy Baby, does this store have a way of giving me anxiety upon arrival?
As most couples, we spent hours and hours at the baby store - going up and down each aisle. The store we registered at did give up a list of recommended items to register for, but of course that doesn't break down, brand, size, quality, or level of necessity. Over the next couple weeks, I spent so much time adding and subtracting items from my registry - hoping I would have everything on my registry that we would ever need. Come to find out, reading blogs & asking my mom friends was a better way to determine what I actually needed. So, here is my contribution - I hope this is helpful.
Favorite Items:
VAVA NIGHT LIGHT
I am sure most of you can relate - the first couple weeks of nursing are, interesting. Night time feedings take a couple weeks to master. Do you keep all the lights off knowing one of you will end up irritated because you are both still learning? OR Do you turn on your bedside lamp knowing you both will end up more awake than you like making it harder to go back to sleep? I knew there had to be some middle ground. I did some research and found the VAVA Night Light. BEST. DECISION. EVER.
- Touch Control
- 200 Hours of Power on Lowest Setting
- Timer Setting
- Dim Setting
- Convenient Charging Base
- Baby Friendly - won't strain the eyes
Baby Bum Brush
This item was one that we registered for, but didn't get, so I assumed I didn't need it. WRONG. With our little girl fighting allergies, her bum is always in need of some cream. I was so tired of cleaning butt cream out of my fingernails - especially by the 10th or 11th diaper of the day. This little gem attaches to the top of your diaper holder and is easy to clean off with a wipe, when you' re done! Voila!
Owlet Baby Monitor
I swore I was never going to be the mom that needed to monitor their kid 24/7 or the one that would spend too much money on something to monitor my kid. Well, 3 months into this gig and I asked for this little baby for my 30th birthday! As I have previously mentioned, our little girl has severe acid reflux and often time vomits in her sleep. I am sure you can imagine the panic that creates in this new mamas heart. Since having the Owlet, I feel so much calmer when she sleeps. I know she is being watched at all times. I may even let her sleep in her own room soon!
Bralido Nursing Tank Tops
Have you noticed how few nursing tops there are? Let alone nursing tops that are unique & different and actually cute? So, I choose to wear non-nursing friendly tops, but in order to do that I have to wear a nursing bra under a nursing cami AND then the cute top. For those that live in Arizona, that's just too much! These camis are supportive enough to wear without a bra. I can now wear my cute top and only ONE layer underneath.
Rock N' Play
LIFE SAVER. I would really like to leave this review at those two words, but I just feel like it deserves more. Our little girl is a great night sleeper & I would like to think it is because of this & because of Taking Cara Babies. Again, our little girl vomits in her sleep. By week 4, we had to do something. I wasn't sleeping well - my husband wasn't sleeping well & I do think our little girl was waking up more than she needed to because of her acid reflux. We were waking up every hour panicking - hoping she was still breathing. Though it is not recommended to have a baby sleep anyway but flat, we had to try it. 10 weeks later and she is still in her Rock N' Play at night - though we are beginning the transition to her crib. She loves it and sleep 8-9 hours each night.
Ollie Swaddle
The moro reflex prohibits babies from sleeping well, if not swaddled. I knew I wanted to swaddle my little girl and had many swaddles folded and put away, awaiting her arrival - but when the time came, I hated all the swaddles we had. Emily was born at 6 lbs 14 oz and was 6 lbs 4 oz when we took her home. Even with the XS swaddles we had registered for, swaddling her little body was difficult. It was difficult to hold her body just right and move all the necessary pieces of the swaddle to make it work. The very next day I hopped on Amazon and had the Ollie swaddle overnight-ed to our house. Though expensive, it is worth every penny. It is user friendly and one size fits all. I will never have to buy a bigger size.
Little Remedies Nasal Saline Mist
Baby congestion - more common than I ever knew. Solution - nasal saline and a humidifier. We used the nasal drops for weeks - but struggled. She hated them and it was often hard to tell how much had actually gone up her nose. The Nasal Mist is less of a pain for Emily and is much easier to tell how much is going up her nose, as you can hear it. As everything else in my life, it is on Amazon, which makes it easier to purchase.
Least Favorite:
Rock N' Play
No, you aren't crazy - this was on my favorites list, too! Baby's sleep cycles last anywhere from 30-50 minutes, which means the odds of them waking up after that cycle are high if there is nothing to help them fall back asleep. For us, that is the sound machine. Emily falls asleep for naps and bedtime to white noise. In the beginning, we used the sound machine on the Rock N' Play, but quickly found out if shuts off, roughly around the 45 minute mark. Now, I do value the need/want to save energy, but do it elsewhere. If your baby awakens before you have the chance to turn that sound machine back on or is close to coming out of that sleep cycle, they will awaken. Why does there need to be a timer
that I can't adjust?
Nursing Cover
I so badly wanted one of these covers. Why not, right? It can be used as a car seat and high chair cover too! Unfortunately, they are not as user friendly as they are cute. Trying to place this over your head when your unhappy newborn is wanting to eat - is no easy task. You have to, one-handed shimmy this cover down over your shoulders for it to be effective. I would much rather use the traditional nursing cover that just covers your front.
Motorola 5 Baby Monitor
For the first weeks of Emily's life, we didn't need a camera. She napped out in the open in her Rock N' Play and when she went to bed, we went to bed. So, when we went to use it for the first time, we realized the sound didn't work. We feared it was too late to return, so we just continued to use it without the sound. About 3 weeks into using it, the sound decided to work. Thank Goodness. Except now, I wish it hadn't. When, because it will happen, the camera and monitor cannot connect, it will beep, and Beep, and BEEP!! It will beep until it can connect - which means walking it back into the room where baby is sleeping. There is no way to mute the obnoxious beeping. Then, finally, when the two are connected, the camera will beep to let you know it's connected. Ahhh. Why all the beeping??
As always, feel free to reach out with questions!
Until Next time, Much Love,
